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This new book is available and highly recommended. As in my book, But God, you will continue to learn more about our Bridegroom, who he is and who he was as you start Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus

You’ve written a couple of other books before this one that have similar titles – Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus and Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus. How do they relate to your new book?

Sitting at the Feet was about the Jewish customs that deepen our understanding of Jesus’ life and ministry, like the biblical feasts, the Jewish prayers, and the relationship of rabbi and disciple. Walking in the Dust was about the Jewish context of Jesus’ teachings. Many of the things he said make much more sense when you know the conversation that was going on around him. Disciples are supposed to “walk in the ways” of their rabbi and obey his teaching. So I chose some of Jesus’ teachings that are especially practical for our lives and have a Jewish context that sheds light on their meaning.

My newest book, Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus, pulls back a bit and starts by looking at cultural issues that get in the way as we read the Bible in the modern, Western world. Among the things I asked myself as I wrote were, what cultural tools can I give readers to read the Bible more authentically? How does a lack of grasp of Jesus as a Jewish Middle Easterner cause us to misunderstand his words? Ultimately, my goal was to equip the average Christian to read the Bible more like first-century disciple.

In your new book you talk about cultural differences that get in the way of understanding the Bible and suggest that we need to grasp how the Bible “thinks.” What do you mean by that?

I started the book with a story about when my five year old nephew arrived in Iowa from Atlanta for Christmas. He had never seen snow before, so he asked, “What do you do with the snow when you have to mow the lawn?” He couldn’t imagine a reality where people didn’t mow their lawns year round, so he assumed it was universal. In the same way, many of our problems with the Bible come from misunderstanding its cultural reality and projecting our own onto it instead. We need to grasp how the Bible “thinks” – the basic background assumptions that biblical peoples had about life. Often these were very different than ours today. It’s also important that we don’t mix these two worlds together inappropriately, like mixing lawnmowers and snow.

You mention an acronym, “WEIRD,” that psychologists coined for the ways that that American culture is unusual compared to the rest of the world. How do you think this comes into play in reading the Bible?

The acronym “WEIRD” stands for “Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic.” All these traits tend to characterize Europeans and especially Americans. We live in an educated, Western culture that values scientific thought above all else. We are industrialized, so that our world does not revolve around family and clan, but around work and business. We are relatively rich, so that many basic worries are simply not on our radar screens. We live in a democracy and dislike all hierarchy and authority.

I point out that these same characteristics tend to set us apart culturally from the Bible, so that major biblical themes, like farming and kings, simply do not resonate. I explore these and other cultural difficulties that modern readers (especially Americans) have with the Bible.

There’s a chapter titled “Greek Brain, Hebrew Brain” where you discuss the difference between Western vs. Eastern thought. How does this influence how we read the Bible?

Western thinking is very analytical, theoretical and focused on abstract concepts. It began in Greece in the 5th century AD and has deeply affected European-based cultures. We see it as the essence of mental sophistication and have a hard time imagining that anyone could think any other way. Much of the Bible, however, communicates in a more ancient way. It speaks in concrete images and parables rather than abstract concepts and argumentation. In this chapter, I show that brilliant ideas can be expressed this way too, and to give readers some basic skills to bridge the gap between East and West.

Another chapter is called, “Why Jesus Needs those Boring ‘Begats.’” In it you point out that many people wonder why the Bible contains so many meaningless lists of names. What is significant about genealogies, culturally? Why were they included?

In the Bible, family was central. Even if you don’t agree with it on every issue, you have to grasp how it “thinks” in terms of family as the center of reality in order to follow its most basic themes. The growth and relationships of a family were the core of how societies functioned. The main theme of the biblical story is God’s promise to Abraham to give him a great family, and the covenant that God makes with that family, Israel. Every time genealogies are listed it shows how God is fulfilling his promise. Even in the New Testament, whether or not believers in Christ needed to be “sons of Abraham” (Torah-observant Jews, who lived by the family covenant) was a major issue.

How does our perspective change if we read the Bible as a “we” instead of merely as an individual?

Americans are very individualistic, and we tend to focus on the Bible as a series of personal encounters between individuals and God. We also assume that the ultimate audience for Bible reading is “me.” We miss how often the Scriptures focus on the group rather than the individual. When Jesus preaches, he’s almost always addressing a crowd. When Paul tells his audience that they are a temple of God, we hear it as about how “my body is a temple.” But Paul is actually talking about them all together as God’s temple, not to each of them individually. In this chapter I point out many places where things make more sense when you see them in light of their communal implications.

Here’s another example of how “we” is important. People talk about Jesus is “my personal savior” and struggle to find the gospel in the Gospels. That’s because the biblical imagery is actually about Christ saving a group of people. Jesus is the “Christ,” God’s anointed king, who has come to redeem a people to be his kingdom. When we “accept Christ” we are submitting to his kingship and joining his people. The imagery of a “kingdom” is inherently plural, so it passes right by us.

You tell about a Christian scholar who theorized that Paul knew his Scriptures by memory. Christian scholars were very skeptical, but Jewish scholars strongly agreed with him. Why was this story important to you?

When I first started hearing about Jesus’ Jewish context, I was skeptical about whether it could be of use to Christians. I was also skeptical of ideas like that Jesus and Paul likely knew their Scriptures (our Old Testament) by heart and expected their listeners to be very familiar with them too. I was told that they would hint to it and drop in little quotes often in their teaching, and these hints were often quite important to grasping the point.

At first, I absolutely didn’t believe this. But as I studied more about traditional Judaism, I discovered that even since the first century, rabbinic sermons have been overloaded with hints, quotes and subtle links to Bible passages. Memorization has been strongly stressed. I laughed when I read about a scholar on Paul’s Jewish context who spoke about this at conferences about twenty or thirty years ago. Christian scholars would all poo-poo him and say, “highly unlikely” or “totally impossible.” The Jewish scholars in his audience, however, would all nod their heads in agreement and say, of course he did!

In the last section of the book I go into more detail about how Jewish teachers studied their Scriptures and alluded to them in preaching. Most importantly, I talk about how some of Jesus’ boldest claims to being the Messiah, the Christ who God sent as Savior, were delivered in this very subtle Jewish way. There are a lot of skeptical scholars who have said that Jesus was just a wandering wise man whose followers exalted to a divine status. But they know nothing about Jesus’ Jewish habit of hinting to his Scriptures, so they miss some of his most powerful statements about being the Son of God.

What started your interest in the Jewishness of Jesus? Was there a particular event that piqued your interest?

I was raised in a devout Christian home. I’m not Jewish and my overall interest is in understanding the reality of Jesus and the Bible, rather than Judaism per se. A little over twenty years ago I signed up for a seminar on ancient Israel and the Jewish culture of the Bible at my church, thinking it would be just some dry historical information. But all of a sudden Bible stories that were foggy and confusing became clear and deeply relevant to my life. I started hearing the words of Scripture through the ears of its ancient listeners, and it made all the difference in the world.

My background was originally in the sciences, and I have a Ph. D. in biology. I was teaching as a college biology professor and my background in research compelled me to dig deeper. Over the years I’ve traveled to Israel several times to experience the land and history in person and to study the language and the culture. Every time I come home I’m newly inspired, because in the past few decades scholars and archaeologists have unearthed enormous amounts of information that clarifies the Bible’s stories, particularly the Jewish setting of Jesus.

Why do you think that so many Christians are unaware of their Jewish heritage?

All of the disciples were Jewish, and the New Testament was written almost entirely by Jews. But within only a couple centuries Gentiles became the majority in the church, and many were hostile to its Jewish origins. Even in Romans Paul warned the Gentiles not to be arrogant toward the Jews, but his words went unheeded. One reason was that early Christians needed to establish their identity as a new movement, and they defended their faith by focusing on their differences with Judaism.

Through the ages there has been occasional interest by Christians in understanding their Jewish roots, but for much of its history the church has struggled with anti-Semitism. And Jews who had felt the persecution of Christians were understandably less than interested in helping them understand the roots of their faith. It’s only been in the last century that Christians have become avidly interested in the topic. One reason for this is because we mingle so much more. Jews and Christians now have relative freedom to discuss their beliefs, and both groups are curious about how the other reads their common Scriptures.

I would like to share a devotion with you today from my book, “but God” but first let me tell you what my book is about.

It is a bible study devotional that takes you on a unique journey thru the Old Testament as you read about the different people in the bible who experienced God’s interventions in their lives, which brought them hope and healing and exposed God’s character and how he feels towards people and what his plans are for the future. You will read about Adam/Eve, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samson, Gideon, David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Jonah, Job, Elijah, The Israelites, and more. All these people experienced “but God” moments and will show you that you probably have had many yourself. This study was something I was doing with the Lord during my devotional time and as he kept showing me more and more hidden treasures in his word he kept confirming I needed to share them with others. So now you can participate in this study yourself by buying the book, watching the YouTube videos, and liking the Facebook page, or checking for updates on the website at http://www.butGodbiblestudy.com

So one of the bible stories we run into as we study the but God verses is a story about a woman named Abigail. It is but God #42 and found in 1 Samuel 25 and in my book it is entitled “but God is at work in us”

We are told Abigail is beautiful and married to a very rich but foolish man named Nabal. David (before he was recognized as king) had met Nabal’s shepherds while in the desert and had protected them and the livestock while they were there. David heard Nabal was shearing his sheep and sent to ask for food if they had some to spare. Nabal responded negatively to this request, mocking and insulting David, acting as if he did not recognize who David was or what he had done for him, and refused to share any of his bread, water, or meat (vs 11). When David heard of this he reacted angrily and said that he had protected all Nabal’s possessions in vain, repaying evil for good. So David determined to have every male in the household killed (v 21-22). David had 200 of his men stay with the supplies and then he, along with 400 men, took their swords and headed towards Nabal’s household.

Meanwhile, Abigail’s servant told her how good David had been to them while in the fields and about Nabal’s rude remarks to David’s men and their request. He advised her to consider carefully what to do as harm would probably be coming toward them (vs 17).

She met David coming toward her on the hill and fell at his feet begging to be heard and acknowledged the problem. Then she asked him to accept the offering of food and asked for forgiveness. Then she praised him and acknowledged who he was and spoke encouraging words over him. She said, “but God is at work in my master, developing a rule solid and dependable. My master fights god’s battles! As long as you live no evil will stick to you…”

David was so taken by Abigail’s words he said she was a blessing and she kept him from bringing bloodshed. He told her he (1) heard her, (2) respected her, (3) he accepted her offering, and (4) to go in peace.

The next day Abigail told her husband what had happened and verse 37 says his heart died and he became like a stone. He probably had a heart attack or a stroke, then 10 days later he died. David heard of this and sent servants to Abigail to ask her if she would become David’s wife. She immediately left with her 5 maidservants to join David and married him.

There are many things to glean from this story. We can see how Abigail represents the believer, the servant represents the holy spirit, Nabal represents the foolish unbeliever, and David represents king Jesus.

Maybe you are married to an unbeliever like Nabal, someone who mocks and insults Jesus, not acknowledging him as the “anointed king”. The world certainly is full of people who are disrespectful, ungratefully, selfish, foolish, and stubborn like Nabal. They dismiss simple requests, feeling they are entitled to all they possess and hoard it for themselves in a self-serving way. They do not want to accept Jesus or have anything to do with him.

David was anointed to be the king. Much like our messiah Christ Jesus is the anointed king. David had not been recognized by all as king just yet much like Jesus has not been recognized by everyone just yet. But in Revelation 19:16 we read when Christ returns on his white horse his robe will read “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”. Then there will be no doubt about who is in charge and who the anointed king is.

Abigail represents the bride of Christ, the future queen. She honored David by acknowledged that he was to be the future king. She was beautiful, wise, courageous, and had discernment. She exhibited godly behavior, and had grace and favor in her king’s eyes. She did not stand idly by while disaster fell upon her household but she took action. She chose carefully and considered what to do. She probably had much practice at this by living with Nabal and had learned to be resourceful and a peacemaker. Abigail honored her marriage to Nabal and her intervention prevented catastrophe. She was confident, yet humble, when she boldly approached David. She stood in the gap for her household and interceded on their behalf. She was fit to be a queen and definitely was noticed by David as we are noticed by Christ.

1 Corinthians 7:12-17 summarizes it by saying this, “the unbelieving spouse is sanctified through the believing spouse. You should live as a believer in the situation the lord has called you to, for you do not know whether you will save your spouse.” (please note: this is not saying to stay if the marriage is abusive). Abigail lived as the peacemaker in her home and surely saved her household that day. As believers in Christ, we too must stand in the gap for those who are in danger and help bring salvation through our prayers for them. Abigail intervened without Nabal knowing, often times that is the same for us when we bring up our loved ones in prayer without them knowing we are praying for their salvation or praying for a door of opportunity to open to share with them in hopes they would be receptive to it.

Abigail’s servant warned her of the problem at hand and advised her to carefully plan her next step. This is a job of the Holy Spirit as he helps us size up the situation and discern what we hear and see. Then he will help us determine to do.

Proverbs 15:1-2 states clearly what happened in this story. It says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” Nabal’s foolish words stirred up anger in David, but Abigail’s soft wise words displayed her knowledge and stopped David’s wrath.

One thing that stood out to me in the story i want to mention are the amount of numbers used. We read about how many sheep and goats there were, how many men there were, how many food items Abigail sent out, how many days until Nabal died, and how many maids went with Abigail when David called for her. I want to highlight two. When the bible says it was 10 days from the time Nabal’s heart turned to stone until his death, it reminds me of the 10 plagues in Egypt (but God #19-22). The pharaoh, like Nabal, was known to have a hardened heart like a stone and stubborn. It was not until the 10th plague was completed that the Israelites were released from bondage and were freed to go be with god (their king) in the wilderness, much like Abigail was then free to be with her king after Nabal’s death 10 days later. Then, when it says that Abigail left with her 5 maids, it reminds me of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25. How interesting Nabal is representative of the foolish while Abigail is representative of the wise. You read that 5 of them were wise and ready to go when the bridegroom called them. Matthew 25:13 says, “Watch therefore, for you do not know the day or hour the son of man is coming.” Abigail did not know that David would come for her after her husband died, but he did – and she was ready to leave immediately (just like the 5 maids were), just like we should be ready to leave when the trumpet souNds and Jesus comes to collect his bride. We need to be ready!

In addition to Abigail, who was released from her marriage thru the death of her husband, there was another woman who also was fit to be queen. Her name was Bathseba and her story can be found in 2 Samuel 11-12 and in but God #46. She was married, but that didn’t keep David from sinning and having an affair. The story is full of scandal, including the death of her husband. David cried out for forgiveness and God did forgive, but there were consequences to their actions. God redeemed David and Bathseba’s relationship and blessed their marriage. God chose their son to be the next king who was Solomon.

Christians make up the body of Christ. To be part of the bride, you must believe Jesus is God’s son and daily obey the word of the lord, loving him with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. You cannot have a relationship with him for just 2 hours on Sunday each week. If you were engaged to someone, surely you would spend more time than that getting to know everything about them. God knows all about you (Psalm 139:13-16 god created me in the womb and the days fashioned for me are written in his book), He created you with a purpose (Eph 2:10- we were created to do good works which Christ prepared beforehand, PS 119:73-80 he fashioned me to hope in him and live according to his law not being ashamed and delighting in him, PS 138:8 the lord will perfect that which concerns me, Col 1:16 all things were created by him and for him, Jer 29:11-i know the plans i have for you to give you a future and a hope), and wants you to belong to his Son’s bride (Romans 1:6, Rom 8:38-39- you were called to belong to Jesus and nothing could separate you from his love).

The point is this- God is constantly at work in us and we all have the potential to be queen, the question is will you accept the invitation?

(much of this information was taken from “Healing oils of the Bible” by David Stewart and also the “Essential Oils Desk Reference”. I also quoted from my book “BUT GOD”. You can research on pubmed.org or oil-testimonials.com

There are oils mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible and it seems they were used for various reasons, but modern research has discovered the science behind why God may have called for specific oils to be used. Oils have been proven to address all the body systems in a powerful and healthy way.

Excerpt from my book BUT GOD pg 158-159…

Remember, God is the Great Physician so please to go to Him first when you are sick.

The Bible instructs us in James 5:14-16 that we are to go to the elders of the church so that they can pray over us and anoint us with oil when we are sick. God is the sole source of healing.

Sometimes people have a functional or genetic deficit that could only be healed through a creative miracle. Sometimes God will use His creation to bring you back to health. He created trees for food and their leaves for healing (Ez 47:12, Rev 22:2).

God gave us plants to be used to facilitate healing and healthy living. God created light and His light generates photosynthesis which creates chemical energy in the plant and helps it produce compounds needed for growth. Plants carry life and that life is found in the essential oils which are compatible with human’s systems.

It is sometimes necessary for pharmaceutical drugs to be used for temporary relief or life-threatening situations, but they are not to be used so often that your body becomes either addicted to them or immune.

Proverbs 21:20 tells us that oil remains in the house of the wise. If we are to be wise for God’s kingdom, this is one thing we should look into for our health.

Some bible verses where oil was created and where it was used:

Oils are referenced as related to worship, religious ceremonies, anointing of kings, burial, and tithing as well as used for perfumes, healing, and mood elevators

Gen 1:12-13 God created plants (which contain the oils) on the 3rd day

1 Sam 10:1 Samuel anointed Saul’s head with oil to anoint him to be king

Oils were used in the temple and as we will learn why, with all the blood sacrifices there was a high probability for disease but God knew which oils were antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasetic, etc to prevent that to be a problem for those serving in the temple. Everything basically was kept germ free!

Pg 91-92 of the book Healing Oils of the Bible–

“Gradual healing verses instant healing”:

Miraculous and instantaneous healing is from the Greek word “iaomai”.

Matthew 8:13, “And Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed that very moment.”

“therapeuo” –therapy comes from this word- to heal gradually over time which includes self administered care or a caregiver to assist.

Acts 28:8-9 says, “And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.” Verse 8 is the word iaomai and verse 9 uses the word therapeuo!

In Mark 6:7-13, Jesus sent his disciples 2×2, they anointed the sick with oil and healed them,” the word is THERAPEUO! Also found in Luke 10 when Jesus sent the 70 with instructions to heal the sick and Rev 22:2 –the leaves of the tree are for healing the nations. Jesus asks us to care for the sick “therapeuo” and help them find healing by applying His natural medicines from “leaves of the trees”.

What are Essential Oils? Called essential cuz they are necessary for the life of the plant. The life blood and the immune system of the plant that is compatible to human beings. Each person’s chemistry is different so experimenting with the oils is always good as one oil may work better for you than another person.

God created plants for us and their oils serve the same purposes for us as they do for the plants. They support and balance our endocrine, circulatory, digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems. Help us metabolize nutrients, minerals, and vitamins, and boost natural defenses of our immune system and attack bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. They can also repel insects.

Healing oils of the Bible had healing therapeutic properties because they were organic and free of chemicals. There is a company that I know which has better grade oils and are different than the ones you buy in the health food store. It is ingestible, has no expiration dates, and uses the first distillation only for full medicinal properties. There is not one synthetic or additive put in it and has full max potency with each drop. If chemicals or solvents were added to extract the oils then they would not be suitable for healing purposes. If not organically grown and contaminated by chemicals then again the healing properties would be diminished.

Because of the yearly differences in rainfall, sunshine, soil conditions, time of day planting and harvesting, the configuration of each oil is different each year making it impossible for bacteria to figure out the constituents. Therefore resistance to eo can never develop. Bacteria can become resistant to man-made drugs because they keep the same chemical makeup, therefore becoming ineffective over time. 5 ml bottle contains 86 drops of oil in it, only need 1 drop to coat every cell in your body and absorb into skin within seconds. They pass the blood brain barrier and go inside the cells.

Fresh and dry herbs measure at 20-27 megahertz, fresh produce is at 5-10 megahertz, processed or canned food is at 0 MHz. Essential oils help increase our body frequency and range from 46-320 megahertz, lifting our frequencies where disease cannot exist. The molecules are so tiny in eo that they will penetrate quickly into the cellular parts of our body, unlike olive oil that may just sit on the top of our skin, the eo sinks right in. 1 drop of essential oil contains enough molecules to cover every cell in our bodies with 40,000 molecules. Combined with positive thoughts and prayer the frequencies can be raised an additional 25%. Please note prayers and oils will not work unless the person is receptive and has genuine repentance for any spiritual barriers that are between the person and God (mark 6:12-13).

The oils found in plants work together with each other bringing truth to the cells. they help to cleanse your receptor sites (phenols- w/o this cells can’t communicate and body malfx w/ sickness), erase or deprogram incorrect information on the cells (sesquiterpenes which also bring oxygen to the cells making them effective in fighting cancer…3 of the highest are Biblical oils: cedarwood 98%, Spikenard 93%, sandalwood 90%), and restore or reprogram the original DNA information that God had intended (monoterpenes- restoring us into God’s image, Frankincense at 77%). Oppositely, pharmaceuticals are designed to block receptor sites or pass false info to trick the body, and sometimes are unsafe to be combined with other meds, but they can work quickly in life threatening situations.

3 ways to use oils…ingest it, Rub it on topically, or diffuse in the air and kill the germs in your home and you can breathe it in during prayer time. Unlike drugs that have many side effects oils work in harmony with one another because each one is telling the truth to your cells to restore it to its original intent.

Healing Oils of the Bible, that “of all the essential oils in the world,

cedarwoood contains the highest level of sesquiterpenes at 98%” (sesquiterpenes deliver oxygen molecules to cells directly and erase miswritten codes in cellular memory). 2 Sam 7:2 & 1 Kings 5:6 Chosen by David and Solomon for their home and the Temple- breathing in Cedarwood increases ability to think clearly which helps contributes towards wise judgments.

(Pg 108 excerpt from the book BUT GOD) “Since we are the Lord’s temple, let us also be wise and surround ourselves with an environment full of pleasing aromas. After all, our prayers are as incense to Him and our worship will facilitate an atmosphere shift pointing to His holy presence, which is carried in us (Ps 141:2, Ps 148-150, Rom 12:1, Rev 5:8).”

Along with Cedarwood oil, in Lev 14 hyssop is also used when the priests used it for cleansing of a leper and a leper’s house. According to the auricular emotions chart, the top of the right ear is the nerve ending point for guilt and the right thumb and right big toe are the nerve ending points for the pineal gland in the center of the brain, where the emotions are stored in the body. You can try experiencing emotional cleansing and healing with this application of hyssop. Ps 51:7 says “purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Psalms 51 after having committed adultery with Bathsheba, David asks God to cleanse him from his sin so that he would be whiter than snow (verse 7)- he meant business he used a plant reference, known to cleanse lepers, to cleanse him from his serous addiction!
(We see in 1 Kings 15:5 that David did not repeat this sin and did what was right before The Lord all the days of his life)

In Luke 17:11-19, 10 lepers raised their voices to Jesus and asked Him to have mercy on them, Jesus said to them to go and show themselves to the priests and as they were going they were healed. Jesus sent them to the priests because Jesus was following the Law as mentioned in Lev 14.

Also hyssop was used to apply the blood of the Passover Lamb to the doorposts in Ex 12:22. Then because Jesus fulfilled every bit of being the Passover Lamb, Jesus’ said to drink of His blood, establishing the new covenant (Matt 26:28) then reinforced as demonstrated with hyssop with wine was offered up to him on the cross (John 19:29) as His blood was shed

Used to support the immune system for help with diabetes, cancer, hepatitis, fungal infections, tooth/gum infections, skin conditions (used after child birth for stretch marks, wrinkles, eczema).

*Sesquiterpenes 60%

Have you have seen pictures of ancient Egyptians with cones on their heads. The cones were lumps of fat saturated with myrrh with the idea that as the heat of the day came the fat would melt slowly and would keep their skin moist and repel insects.

From Esther 2:12, one learns that the candidates from which King Ahaseuerus was to pick his queen were prepared by anointing: “six month with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours.”

It is often used with other oils cuz it has unique ability to preserve fragrances to make them last longer and was the only oil used in the Exodus 30:23-25, as part of the ingredients used for anointing oil- Myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia, and olive oil and Holy incense in Ex 30: 34-38.

Did you know that the first time a specific eo (essential oil) is mentioned in the Bible was in the story of Joseph Gen 37:25 -Midianites carrying myrrh when Joseph was being sold into slavery

Interesting fact… the second time it is mentioned is when Joseph’s brothers bring it to him when he was in charge of Egypt Gen 43:11, at his death, Joseph was embalmed (prob with myrrh) and placed in a coffin Gen 50:26. Joseph was a foreshadow of Christ- Myrrh was given to Jesus in the beginning of his life by the wise men and then at the end of His life when Joseph and Nicodemus prepared His body for burial.

Myrrh was the first oil mentioned in the Bible in Gen and one of the Last oil mentioned in Rev 18. Rev 22:13 God’s Word says He is the first and the last. There were two oil given to Jesus at His birth and both are pictures of Him, the second one is…

It was valued more than gold and only those of great wealth possessed it in the ancient times. Egyptian tradition considered it the universal cure-all. Many testimonies and studies done with people using this as an alternative medicine along with myrrh as well for cancer treatment.

Oils in the Bible: In Ex 30:34-38 we find the ingredients for the Holy Incense- an equal part of stacte, onycha, galbanum, and spices with pure frankincense. This mixture was put on the alter (Ex 30:6-7) to be continually before the Lord in the Tabernacle. This mixture points to the way in which atonement for our sins would be made! Knowing the Holy Incense may have pointed to Jesus now makes the passage in Ex 30:9-10 more clear. “no strange incense”- the only way to make atonement ultimately was going to be through Jesus, no other way. Also, God did not want Jesus’ work on the cross to be offered up as an incense to any false god or worn as a cheap perfume. This may be why God was so unwavering on how holy this incense was to be. I will explain further below:

The following is from Wikipedia and then what Jesus showed me how it all linked together: Galbanum in Latin “derives in part from Ferule which is a schoolmaster’s rod, such as a cane, stick, or flat piece of wood, used in punishing children”, Onycha means nail in Greek (like a fingernail or claw) but in Hebrew comes from the root word meaning “to roar; a lion” (strongs #7826/7827), and stacte means “bleeding substance from a tree” and was probably a myrhh extract. Frankincense in Hebrew means white (reminds me of Jesus being blameless, sinless, the spotless Lamb of God).

And the way it describes getting the resin from frankinsence tree is it “is tapped from the scraggly but hardy trees by slashing the bark, which is called striping, and allowing the exuded resin to bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are called tears.” Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

Now picture Jesus’ death; He was beaten, He bled, He was nailed to a cross and was the white, spotless Passover Lamb. Eph 5:2 says that Jesus gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering. Messiah means “anointed one” (A commonly used Hebrew word for anoint was “mesach” from which is the root word for Messiah, in Greek “Kristos” or “Christ” literally means “the anointed one.”) Jesus was the anointed one who was life was a pleasing aroma to God.

and

Remember The Parable of the farmer scattering the seed in Matthew 13:20-21, Jesus said “The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” trees that grow in rocky soil or gravel are usually ripped from the ground but Wikipedia states that the Frankincense tree grows on an actual rock Growing on the rock prevents it from being ripped from the rock during violent storms. Psalm 18:2 says, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Frankincense is mostly made up of monoterpenes- which help restore our cells – Jesus came to bring restoration, restoring our relationship back to our heavenly Father. This very oil was presented to Him after His birth and part of the Holy incense oil for the Temple, which Jesus entered into Himself to make atonement for our sins (Heb 9).

Used for cataracts, fungal infections, atherosclerosis, anxiety, diabetes, arteriosclerosis (Always use carrier oil with this as it is a “hot” oil, 3x hotter than cinnamon)

*Aldehydes 80%

In the Bible- used as part of the oil for the temple Ex 30:23-29 to sanctify all the articles and accessories including the laver which the priests used to cleanse- the holy oil formula was high in phenylpropanoids which is an excellent disinfectant, protecting priests from spreading disease from handling the many animals and blood sacrifices.

Ps 45:7-8 “…all thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia. Out of the ivory palaces where by they have made thee glad.” Olfactory nerves connect directly behind the nose to the center of the brain where the limbic system is which coordinates our emotions. The aroma uplifts the spirit while keeping them germ free and healthy! Cheerfulness elevates immunity as proven in bible Prov 17:22 “a joyful heart is good medicine”

Seen in the Bible: Nicodemus brought a mixture of aloes and myrrh to prepare his body for burial in John 19:39

Today 100 pounds of Myrrh and aloes has a present worth of $150,00-$200,000

“I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, and aloes, and cinnamon” (Proverbs 7:17). Kept bugs away- think of where they lived!

Bug bite story: typical bug bite remedy is lavender or purification. I used lavender, didn’t work, used purification blend, didn’t work, finally used sandalwood and itch stopped spreading and instantly stopped. Never know which will work sometimes you have to use different oils to see which is right for you.

Used for diabetes, grounding, found to be beneficial in treatment of hypertension, cramps, laryngitis, Said to be good to rid your body of hidden emotions

*monoterpenes 54%, alcohols 12%

Personal story- used on my varicose veins when they hurt

Seen in bible: perhaps related to the Hebrew word for Gopher which is the wood named that was used to build Noah’s ark in Genesis 6:14. Also in 1 Kings 9:11 the king of Tyre furnished Solomon with cedar trees.

Numbers 16:46-50 Aaron stops the plague by fumigating the Israelite camp with the holy incense oil which further demonstrates how these oils (along with God’s healing power) can kill a virus or stop a bacteria.

As part of the Holy incense only, Galbanum has been said it was included as the earthy smell to represent the sinful nature of man. But combined with the other oils must have been a much better smell than the unpleasant smell of burning flesh,hair, an feathers from the animals along with protecting those visiting the temple from the spread of disease

Onycha was valued for its ability to speed the healing of wounds and prevent infection. For years it was used in the hospitals as an antiseptic until antibacterial soaps were made, now many hospitals have gone back as the bacteria has started becoming resistant to the synthetic antibacterial soaps.

There is controversy as to where this oil actually came from, some say it was from a shell fish (but as shell fish were considered unclean according to God’s laws this is unlikely). Some say it was from a cistus plant (something like the Rose of Sharon- which is indigenous to the area) and others say it came from a benzoin plant.

(in manual) migraines, allergies, and has been effective against E.Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella

*sesquiterpenes 50% monoterpenes 36%

Mostly famous in the story where the woman who had an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, which was very precious, broke the box and poured it on Jesus’ head occurring in the house of Simon the Leper (Mark 14:1-9, Matt 26:1-13). It is also seen in John 11:1-2; 12:1-8 when Mary, sister of Lazarus, took a pound of spikenard and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair in the house of Lazarus. In Luke 7:36-50 a story is similarly told but instead of Mary, it was a sinful woman and it was done early in Jesus’ ministry and Jesus’ feet were anointed. Jesus’ may have been anointed with Spikenard 3x.

It is a very expensive oil- costing one year’s salary the Gospel says. The cost of a pound of Spikenard currently is around $1500.

Used for ulcers, worms, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases, viral infections, digestive complaints, warts. Found to be comparable to antibiotics, penicillin and ampicillin.

*aldehydes 47% phenols 25%

Seen in the Bible in Ex 30:23 for temple spices

One of the many listed when the speaking of His Beloved in Song of Solomon 4:10-15

“How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume more than any spice!11 Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.12 You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard,14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices.15 You are a garden fountain,
a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.”

In the OT we see priests and prophets were the ones who anointed but now we are called “a royal priesthood” according to 1 Peter 2:9 and since we are the temple of the living God (2 Cor 6:16) we must care for our temples along with being sent to heal the sick and anoint with oil (luke 10:1-9, mark 6:11-13, James 5:14).

Please remember to drink lots of water today as these oils may have loosened toxins and need to be flushed from your body

Extra info:

OLIVE OIL

Known to cleanse the liver, anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant, restores normal digestions, helps with healing certain types of ulcers, increases longevity. Even when olive trees are cut down they usually sprout back to form trees from old roots. Located on the mount, the Garden of Gethsemane was a place Jesus visited much and where olives and grapes were grown. Gethsemane in Hebrew means “wine and oil press”

Apendix F of Bible oil Book

“Sesquiterpenes are oxygenating, mood elevating, and deprogram miswritten codes in the DNA

Monoterpenes are hostile to microbes and reprogram cells with correct information

S and M can be spiritually elevating by stimulating the pineal gland and the oxygenating capabilities can create an environment that makes it difficult for cancer cells to survive. They boost the body’s natural defenses.

Phenols, ketones, aldehydes are antiseptic and cleanse receptor sites, and detoxify our bodies- Phenols in addition promote hormonal balance and healthy bodily function and are found in Calamus, cinnamon, and Cassia- the ingredients of the Holy Anointing oil of Ex 30:23-24

Tonight I taught an insightful class on the oils of the Bible at my church. I mentioned them briefly in the But God book #58 when I discussed cedarwood in Solomon’s temple. If anyone is reading this blog- let me know your thoughts about posting some of that teaching here

Lord what new thing can I say?
Words have been used in every way
To describe your goodness and your mercy
To express a grateful heart on a day we eat TURKEY!

You deserve more than an “I love you”
You deserve more than a mere “Thank you”
You deserve more than your ears have heard
You deserve more than the words I’ve learned

But until we are face to face
Or I hear new songs from Your gates
I’ll stick to what I know is true
Singing beautiful words to glorify You
To describe your acts of mightiness
To proclaim your holiness
To exclaim when you Glory shines around
To declare when you love came down
To say you are humble and full of greatness
You are pure loving kindness
You are well mannered and eloquent
Speaking educated and brilliant
Your voice is full of authority
Commanding full priority
You have our destiny in focus
Never against us, but always for us

Since this season is coming upon us I thought this would give us all a great reminder of what it is exactly ! I talk about the feasts of The Lord in my book and here is some more Info to Help you dive in deeper

Last night’s session brought us to the third of the Great Feasts – the Feast of Tabernacles. Deuteronomy 16:13-17 describes this feast:

Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your Feast – you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete

Today was my first formal interview – I prepared by spending the day with Jesus and taking the day off work. I prayed and read my bible and read thru some notes throughout the day. I tried to drink lots of water and even used some of my Young Living oils (valor, frankincense, brain power, & clarity). I asked for lots of prayer and thankfully many of my friends followed thru. I feel that I write better than I speak so I knew I was gonna need reinforcement!

The fun part of the day came when I worshipped The Lord and sang praises as my favorite songs played on my iPod. I flipped open my bible randomly knowing that wherever it landed was where God would speak directly to me … And I was right. I landed in 1 Cor 1-2 and my bible had been written in from when I’ve visited this page before, though I don’t know when, since I have several bibles and this happened to be one I used a lot many many years ago before the words BUT GOD did not mean as much as they do now.

My eyes landed on a certain verse that had my name written above it- a But God verse! 1 Cor 2:10 – here I was about to talk about the But God book later today and The Lord reminded me that He revealed wisdom to me which He gave me thru His Spirit. Earlier in 1 Cor 2:4 I felt I related to Paul in that I was not going to be able to talk with persuasive speech full of wisdom but speak with whatever power the Spirit was going to give me. I was going to be myself and hope in my weakness God would use it for the best.

I was blessed to be given access to my friends house for the phone interview and had the house to myself so there were no kids in the background or dogs barking. I made myself some hot chocolate and took some sips and some deep breaths.

The radio program is called Lifeline with Craig Roberts on KFAX. The engineer called me on my friend’s landline and I was on hold listening to the program for about 5 minutes and praying. It was time for my segment to begin and I felt The Lord help calm my nerves and answer the questions – I was pleased with how the first segment went and then we went to a commercial break and the second segment began. I wish I could redo this part and answer those questions better and more direct – there was so much to remember in the book and I got stuck in run-on sentences and random information. I forgot for a moment my friend’s advice- less is more – ugh! Thank goodness Craig was gracious to me and helped me out. Well, hopefully God will edit my words entering people’s ears so they can follow along. Craig was able to help me end the interview well and then it was over.

For those interested my segment begins at minute 46- here is the link to get to the podcast for May 22, 2014.